Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana made a stop at the Xfinity Center in
Mansfield, MA July 23 as part of the ONENESS double billed tour with Counting Crows.
I am almost embarrassed to admit that this was my first time seeing Santana,
given that he has been making music since 1966. Admittedly, I am only familiar
with the “radio hits” and well-known tracks. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but
I assumed that given his legendary status, I’d be impressed or at the least entertained
by Carlos and his 8-member band. What I was NOT expecting, was to be
COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY by a vibrant, energetic fusion of rock, Latin, and
blues rhythms with an afro-cuban undercurrent characterized by
Carlos Santana's mesmerizing guitar playing, passionate vocals, and a
strong emphasis on improvisation. At the very first note played,
I immediately felt a strong sense of communal energy and celebration.

While most of my focus was placed on the lead singer himself, I found my
eyes always wandering to the kit, where Carlos’ wife, Cindy Blackman GOES OFF
behind the drums. Her improvisational playing style incorporates intricate techniques
and rhythmic concepts, while marrying perfectly with her husbands same
intricate techniques on guitar. The band opened up with a 9 minute version of
Soul Sacrifice, coupled with background visuals that included tribal
and ritualistic footage of what seemed like shamans or some sort of
Brazilian tribe. But the combination of this footage with the heart pounding
latin beat made for a mystical and spiritual experience like no other.
In addition to this footage, the screens projected older concert footage from
Woodstock that carried the emotional energy from that day to the live
experience of 2024.

It was a mind-bending experience that honestly left me speechless.
I don’t know why I didn’t think to expect absolute greatness from a
legendary performer, but I was simply caught off guard and frankly was
NOT READY to experience the raw power that comes with seeing an icon like this
live. I can only imagine that he, like a fine wine, has gotten even
BETTER as a performer over the years. At 74, it is understandable that
Carlos had to play the majority of the show seated on a stool, but this did
not take away from the visceral experience of seeing him shred on the guitar
like no other could ever dream of doing. Early into the set, the band
played Evil Ways (a Willie Bobo cover), Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
and Oye cómo va. The triple combo of these 3 favorite hits made for
almost 25 minutes of familiar tracks to the novice who may
not know the deep cuts (aka ME).

The rock God proceeded to play for over 3 hrs, and his carefully
chosen band of brilliant musicians played up to his level in this
dynamic display of musical virtuosity that transcended genres
and connected with concert-goers on a visceral level. I hope that I
get another opportunity to relive this experience- perhaps I will have
to make a trip out to Vegas for his residency at The House of Blues.
I can say undoubtedly after this experience, that it would be worth the trip.